I try not to get controversial on here. But today I can't help it.
Homes For Our Troops is an organization close to my heart because of the awesome blessing they bestowed on my cousin's family. Disabled veterans need adaptable homes so they can live, really live their lives to the best of their abilities. And yet, some people care more about themselves than the veterans who sacrificed so much for our freedoms.
SFC Sean Gittens was suppose to have his Build Brigade this Friday in Knob Hill Subdivision in Evans, Georgia. He was finally going to have a home where he could really live. But the snobs in Knob Hill decided they didn't want him.
At the last minute, the Board of Directors of the Property Owners Association decided the home HFOT wanted to build wasn't good enough for their subdivision. They wanted it bigger. And more than one story. They wanted a specially-adapted home for someone in a wheel chair to be more than one story. Obviously, they are idiots.
Even after HFOT met the Board's demands to modify the house to their subdivision requirements and they initially approved the build, they revoked their permission. Because apparently this specially-adapted home for a veteran could decrease property value in the rest of the subdivision.
I really don't have a better word for them than idiots. Maybe un-American. That's a good word for them too.
You can read the article here. And please, "like" their subdivision on Facebook long enough to tell them exactly how you feel about this matter. If you feel strongly enough, make sure to email the President of the Board at Rick.Trump@Comcast.net.
We need to send a message that such treatment of our veterans is never, ever acceptable. The "bottom dollar" should never be the biggest priority. Ever.
EDIT: The Facebook page is now deleted. The local news station got wind of the atrocity, and apparently they didn't like all the negativity. Try being grateful Americans, and maybe people wouldn't respond with such outrage!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
30 Days
Today is my 30th day of P90x!!!!
And yes, that statement did justify that many exclamation points. I am so very proud of myself for making it this far. I've now completed Phase 1 which means I am a third of the way through the program.
My life has changed so much in the last thirty days. My mind frame especially. This isn't about dieting. It's about changing my lifestyle. This isn't *just* about losing weight. It's about loving myself. It's about achieving goals. It's about taking care of my body because it's the only body I'm ever going to have.
In a society that tells you that the number on the scale is all that matters, it's disheartening to see that those numbers refuse to budge. So I put my scale away. Because this journey is not about that stupid number on that stupid scale. It's about changing my life so I can be the healthiest person that I'm capable of.
As for the program itself, I still absolutely love it. I actually decided to change from the Lean version to the Classic version in Phase 2 to hopefully see better results. I was led to believe at first that the Lean version was better for women because we didn't need to bulk up, but after more research and plenty of advice from women who have done the program, I've changed my mind.
Classic P90x is definitely more focused on weight training than Lean P90x, but the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn even when you're sitting on your butt. After a weight training workout, muscles continue to burn calories for most of the day, whereas calories are only burned for the few hours directly following a cardio workout. I'd say weight training is my new best friend. Who says it's just for men?
I'm loving the program so much that I may even start doing Doubles soon. Adding Doubles means doing an extra CardioX workout on the days you weight train. I do my workouts as soon as I wake up in the morning so adding another before bed would put enough time between workouts to be feasible I think. I'm just loving working out that much!
My results in the first thirty days weren't jaw dropping, but they were enough to keep me going. The fact that I'll go out in public in shorts and dresses on a regular basis is enough proof of that. I've been a jean and capri gal even on the hottest days for as long as I can remember.
Thus far, I've lost one and a half inches off my waist, two inches off my hips, two inches off my chest, and two and half inches off my thighs (combined)! I've also increased my right arm an inch. You can't see definition in my muscles yet, but I actually have muscle to flex now. Excellent! The scale refuses to budge. But I'm okay with that. I know that I've lost fat but added muscle so I refuse to feel discouraged.
I can't wait to see what changes Phase 2 brings!
And yes, that statement did justify that many exclamation points. I am so very proud of myself for making it this far. I've now completed Phase 1 which means I am a third of the way through the program.
My life has changed so much in the last thirty days. My mind frame especially. This isn't about dieting. It's about changing my lifestyle. This isn't *just* about losing weight. It's about loving myself. It's about achieving goals. It's about taking care of my body because it's the only body I'm ever going to have.
In a society that tells you that the number on the scale is all that matters, it's disheartening to see that those numbers refuse to budge. So I put my scale away. Because this journey is not about that stupid number on that stupid scale. It's about changing my life so I can be the healthiest person that I'm capable of.
As for the program itself, I still absolutely love it. I actually decided to change from the Lean version to the Classic version in Phase 2 to hopefully see better results. I was led to believe at first that the Lean version was better for women because we didn't need to bulk up, but after more research and plenty of advice from women who have done the program, I've changed my mind.
Classic P90x is definitely more focused on weight training than Lean P90x, but the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn even when you're sitting on your butt. After a weight training workout, muscles continue to burn calories for most of the day, whereas calories are only burned for the few hours directly following a cardio workout. I'd say weight training is my new best friend. Who says it's just for men?
I'm loving the program so much that I may even start doing Doubles soon. Adding Doubles means doing an extra CardioX workout on the days you weight train. I do my workouts as soon as I wake up in the morning so adding another before bed would put enough time between workouts to be feasible I think. I'm just loving working out that much!
My results in the first thirty days weren't jaw dropping, but they were enough to keep me going. The fact that I'll go out in public in shorts and dresses on a regular basis is enough proof of that. I've been a jean and capri gal even on the hottest days for as long as I can remember.
Thus far, I've lost one and a half inches off my waist, two inches off my hips, two inches off my chest, and two and half inches off my thighs (combined)! I've also increased my right arm an inch. You can't see definition in my muscles yet, but I actually have muscle to flex now. Excellent! The scale refuses to budge. But I'm okay with that. I know that I've lost fat but added muscle so I refuse to feel discouraged.
I can't wait to see what changes Phase 2 brings!
Friday, June 17, 2011
MilSpouse Friday Fill-In
It's Friday already?!?! Here's Wifey's Military Spouse Fill-In to end another great week!
1. Underwear Parties, how old is too old? submitted by Wookie & Co.
Any age? Bahaha. But seriously. I think they are pretty weird.
2. What was your favorite class in high school? submitted by Adventures of M-Squared
Either English or Choir. I was in Show Choir (read: Glee Club) so I absolutely loved choir. But I'm a big reader and obviously I love writing so English was always a favorite.
3. Have you ever convinced packers/movers to pack something they aren’t supposed to for a PCS? submitted by Ground Control to Major Mom
We've only PCS'd once thus far, and I don't think so? Ha. But I'm pretty sure they forgot to pack some things they should have. Perhaps a couple of my Wii games that disappeared? Yah, I learned many lessons about packers after that first moving experience.
4. Blogging plays a growing roll in the media. If you were asked to embed as a blogger with a deployed military unit, would you go? What do you think your blog would be like? submitted by To the Nth
Absolutely not. I think Pamela said it best in Army Wives when she said "we can't have both Mommy and Daddy getting shot at." Evie already has to deal with her Papa being gone for months at a time. Plus, I'm not enough of a risk taker for something like that. I stay as far away from danger as I can.
5.Do you think kids should attend year-round school? submitted by Marrying the Navy
No way. How depressing would that be? I'm sure once Evie's school-aged I'll have moments in the summer when I wish she was at school. But kids need a break. They need time to be kids. I know they do this in other countries and it works, but I can't imagine depriving kids of summer vacation! It's far too nice outside to be cooped up indoors all day.
1. Underwear Parties, how old is too old? submitted by Wookie & Co.
Any age? Bahaha. But seriously. I think they are pretty weird.
2. What was your favorite class in high school? submitted by Adventures of M-Squared
Either English or Choir. I was in Show Choir (read: Glee Club) so I absolutely loved choir. But I'm a big reader and obviously I love writing so English was always a favorite.
3. Have you ever convinced packers/movers to pack something they aren’t supposed to for a PCS? submitted by Ground Control to Major Mom
We've only PCS'd once thus far, and I don't think so? Ha. But I'm pretty sure they forgot to pack some things they should have. Perhaps a couple of my Wii games that disappeared? Yah, I learned many lessons about packers after that first moving experience.
4. Blogging plays a growing roll in the media. If you were asked to embed as a blogger with a deployed military unit, would you go? What do you think your blog would be like? submitted by To the Nth
Absolutely not. I think Pamela said it best in Army Wives when she said "we can't have both Mommy and Daddy getting shot at." Evie already has to deal with her Papa being gone for months at a time. Plus, I'm not enough of a risk taker for something like that. I stay as far away from danger as I can.
5.Do you think kids should attend year-round school? submitted by Marrying the Navy
No way. How depressing would that be? I'm sure once Evie's school-aged I'll have moments in the summer when I wish she was at school. But kids need a break. They need time to be kids. I know they do this in other countries and it works, but I can't imagine depriving kids of summer vacation! It's far too nice outside to be cooped up indoors all day.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Little Girls & Their Heroes
Michael has been deployed for a couple months now, and we've finally found a good groove. Our days have a good flow to them, and I feel like these summer days may fly by. But we're definitely missing our lost family member.
We're lucky to be able to talk to Michael a few minutes each day which helps keep our lives from feeling too separate. This has helped Evie tremendously during this first deployment because he still feels like a constant presence in our lives. He may be halfway around the world, but Evie can still see his face every day.
Deployments affect children the hardest.
A massive understatement if there ever was one. Her friends Daddies are gone too which is sort of a silver lining because they talk to each other about the deployments. It helps that Evie's friends are a year or two older because they can comprehend the absence a little better than she does. It is the sweetest yet most heart-wrenching thing to listen to them talk amongst themselves about missing their Daddies. The children didn't sign up for this life, but it will affect them tremendously nonetheless.
Evie has been coping with the deployment very well. Better than I had anticipated, actually. It's not that she doesn't miss Michael. I think it's more that she handles change very well. She knows that he's off working on airplanes, and that he's "far, far away". She knows that he'll be coming back one day.
When she talks about her Papa, you know that he's her hero. I asked her if he was a Superhero, and she gave it serious consideration. I could see the wheels turning in her little head as she tossed the idea around. She even started to agree, that yes he was a superhero. But then she decided that since he doesn't have a cape, there's no way. And besides, superheros don't wear hats. Duh, Mom.
But she did concede that he is a hero even if he hasn't been granted super status. And it's obvious that she believes this wholeheartedly if you listen to her talk.
Her Papa can accomplish anything. I can't find the outdoor push broom? "My Papa will find it when he gets home." Her doll's head fell off? "My Papa will fix that when he gets home." I tell her that drinking her pool water will make her sick. "That's okay. Papa will give me medicine and make me all better when he gets home."
I'm not sure whether to feel offended that my daughter thinks I can't do anything by myself or just smile because she has unending trust that her Papa can do absolutely anything.
Not to mention all the fun things that Evie will get to do when Michael returns. "I get to go to preschool when Papa gets home." And "I'm going to show Papa the butterfly garden when he gets home" since she absolutely loved the Botanica gardens we visited last week--especially the butterfly house.
I may be the one cuddling her while we watch her favorite movies, playing Barbies for hours, and tucking her in at night, but I am not her Papa. No one can ever fill the place of a little girl's hero.
We're lucky to be able to talk to Michael a few minutes each day which helps keep our lives from feeling too separate. This has helped Evie tremendously during this first deployment because he still feels like a constant presence in our lives. He may be halfway around the world, but Evie can still see his face every day.
Deployments affect children the hardest.
A massive understatement if there ever was one. Her friends Daddies are gone too which is sort of a silver lining because they talk to each other about the deployments. It helps that Evie's friends are a year or two older because they can comprehend the absence a little better than she does. It is the sweetest yet most heart-wrenching thing to listen to them talk amongst themselves about missing their Daddies. The children didn't sign up for this life, but it will affect them tremendously nonetheless.
Evie has been coping with the deployment very well. Better than I had anticipated, actually. It's not that she doesn't miss Michael. I think it's more that she handles change very well. She knows that he's off working on airplanes, and that he's "far, far away". She knows that he'll be coming back one day.
When she talks about her Papa, you know that he's her hero. I asked her if he was a Superhero, and she gave it serious consideration. I could see the wheels turning in her little head as she tossed the idea around. She even started to agree, that yes he was a superhero. But then she decided that since he doesn't have a cape, there's no way. And besides, superheros don't wear hats. Duh, Mom.
But she did concede that he is a hero even if he hasn't been granted super status. And it's obvious that she believes this wholeheartedly if you listen to her talk.
Her Papa can accomplish anything. I can't find the outdoor push broom? "My Papa will find it when he gets home." Her doll's head fell off? "My Papa will fix that when he gets home." I tell her that drinking her pool water will make her sick. "That's okay. Papa will give me medicine and make me all better when he gets home."
I'm not sure whether to feel offended that my daughter thinks I can't do anything by myself or just smile because she has unending trust that her Papa can do absolutely anything.
Not to mention all the fun things that Evie will get to do when Michael returns. "I get to go to preschool when Papa gets home." And "I'm going to show Papa the butterfly garden when he gets home" since she absolutely loved the Botanica gardens we visited last week--especially the butterfly house.
I may be the one cuddling her while we watch her favorite movies, playing Barbies for hours, and tucking her in at night, but I am not her Papa. No one can ever fill the place of a little girl's hero.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Three Years and Counting
I've been married for three years today!!!
Since Michael is halfway around the world right now, it sort of feels like any other day. We've had a lot of anniversaries in our relationship--this fall will be ten years together!--so they don't always hold a lot of excitment and pizazz. But I have noticed one thing.
The years just keep getting better. When we first started our relationship, we were so young. We had our whole lives ahead of us, and we had no clue where we would end up. We've gone through a lot of changes as a couple, and they've only made us stronger. I'm beginning to really understand how two people can stay married for their entire lives. There is always a new adventure around the corner, and what better person to spend those moments with than my best friend?
We've only spent one wedding anniversary together so far, and I'm really hoping this isn't becoming a trend. But whether we're together or on different continents, our love will never die.
Since our relationship started before widespread digital camera use (gasp, that really makes me feel old), I don't have pictures from the first few years of our relationship. But here's us from the last six years. Try not to laugh too hard.
I love you babe!
Since Michael is halfway around the world right now, it sort of feels like any other day. We've had a lot of anniversaries in our relationship--this fall will be ten years together!--so they don't always hold a lot of excitment and pizazz. But I have noticed one thing.
The years just keep getting better. When we first started our relationship, we were so young. We had our whole lives ahead of us, and we had no clue where we would end up. We've gone through a lot of changes as a couple, and they've only made us stronger. I'm beginning to really understand how two people can stay married for their entire lives. There is always a new adventure around the corner, and what better person to spend those moments with than my best friend?
We've only spent one wedding anniversary together so far, and I'm really hoping this isn't becoming a trend. But whether we're together or on different continents, our love will never die.
Since our relationship started before widespread digital camera use (gasp, that really makes me feel old), I don't have pictures from the first few years of our relationship. But here's us from the last six years. Try not to laugh too hard.
I love you babe!
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